Laura Grimm is a marine scientist who has spent her career championing conservation and tackling climate change.
Now, she is overseeing the rapid dismantling of one of the world’s leading climate and oceanic research agencies.
Since April, Grimm has served as the acting administrator of NOAA. In that time, NOAA has lost or forced outa large chunk of its workforce, canceled or paused hundreds of grants and contracts, and left key weather offices without full staffing as hurricane season begins.
Advertisement
Three NOAA employees, granted anonymity to avoid repercussions, blamed those cuts largely on the White House. Grimm is viewed as someone who “just rubber stamps anything” the Trump White House wants to do, one employee said.
